"Review with me
everything you know about the planet," the Captain said to those
sitting around the conference room table. Scotty and Dr. McCoy
automatically deferred to the First Officer to enlighten them all.

"Leferson is class M,
Captain," Spock said. "Little else is known. They are matriarchal
and have up to now refused all contact with the Federation."

"Why are they asking
that we come?" the Captain inquired ideally, not really expecting a
response.

"Maybe they are as
curious about us as we are about them," Dr. McCoy ventured.

"Maybe they need
something from us, Captain," Scotty suggested.

"There is nothing in
their request to indicate they are in distress," Spock said. "It
is widely believed that they avoid contact with the Federation
because they shun all forms of violence."

"With a planet as
heavily shielded as theirs, they can avoid all the violence they
want," Scotty said, a note of reluctant admiration in his voice.

"So we can assume
they have some advanced technology," the Captain said.

"Aye, Captain."

"Any record of
interstellar travel?" Kirk asked.

"None, sir," Spock
responded.

"Well, I supposed
we'll get plenty of answers when we beam down," the Captain said.

"Indeed," Spock
agreed.

"Aren't you at all
worried that they won't allow security to go with you?" McCoy
asked.

"It's their planet,
Doctor. We must follow their rules," Kirk said with a shrug.

"Makes me nervous,"
the Doctor said.

"Just as well you
aren't coming," the Captain said lightly, smiling at his
naturally cautiously friend.

"Please be careful,"
McCoy requested as he so often did.

"You know we will,"
Kirk agreed. "Scotty will transport us down since the shield will
only be open a few seconds."

"Aye, sir," Scotty
agreed, standing when the Captain did. They all left the conference
room to go directly to the transporter.

"I respect your
instincts, Bones. I also have my orders," the Captain said. "We'll
be fine."

"I hope to the gods
you are right," Bones said with a sigh.

"The planet's
contacting us, sir," Scotty said.

"Very well, Mr.
Scott," the Captain said as he and Spock mounted the transporter
platform. "Energize on their…" Before he could finish, the
Captain had disappeared, Spock alone on the pad. Alone except for the
Captain's uniform and communicator.

"Contact Starfleet.
Top priority. I will be on the Bridge momentarily," Spock said,
moving toward the door, the other men close behind.

The Captain was
disoriented. The transporter had never energized but he was not on
his ship. He had no idea where he was but had to assume he was on the
planet. He slowly sat up, surveying the room where he had landed. It
was not any sort of prison cell. It was, in fact, fairly comfortable.
His bare skin was warmed by the soft cream carpeting covering the
floor. There were no breaks in the rounded walls surrounding him
except for a picture window which looked out on a valley with a
sparkling stream in the distance. Past that was a range of mountains,
snow on their peaks, clouds hovering close by.

How strange, the
Captain thought. I'm in a round room with no door but a
beautiful view out of a window. And I have lost my uniform. None of
this makes sense.

Several feet before
him, the air shimmered until it solidified into a tall, regal woman.
She was taller than Spock, the Captain thought. And she was quite
beautiful, her grey hair in a multitude of braids swept off her face.
In some of those braids were bright yellow ribbons, the same shade as
the shimmering outfit she wore. She wore flowing pants, the top the
same color and material – one arm covered, the other nearly bare.
Her sleeves were secured around her wrists with bracelets of shining
yellow stones. The necklace which swept down her front to her waist
was made of the same stones and they were also present at the ends of
some of her braids.

"Captain," she said
in a commanding voice. Kirk had stood when she appeared and she
assessed him, apparently unconcerned that he was completely bare.

"I am Captain Kirk,"
he acknowledged, using all of the command authority at his disposal.

"I am Kala Korena,"
she returned.

The Captain didn't
know if any response was expected so gave none.

"I am the ruler of
this planet," she informed him in a commanding tone of her own.

The Captain nodded
slightly. "Where is my first officer?" he asked in a way most
could not refuse to answer.

"He remains aboard
your vessel," she said in dismissal. "We have no need of him."

"No need of him,"
the Captain repeated. Why did that sound vaguely ominous to his ears?

"You are the only one
we require," she informed him.

"Require for what?"
the Captain asked, almost certain he was not going to like the
answer.

"The males on our
planet have become infertile," she said matter-of-factly.

"Infertile," the
Captain repeated, a distinctly sinking feeling developing in the pit
of his stomach.

"Our scientists have
worked to discover the reason and reverse it. They have had no
success. No children have been born on Leferson in 3.6 cycles."

Years? the
Captain wondered but did not ask. Surely not months. "We have
medical researchers who will be able to assist you," the Captain
told her.

"We are a
very…self-contained society, Captain. We do not want out-worlders
coming to disrupt our peaceful existence."

"You brought me
down," he pointed out unnecessarily.

"Alone," she
reminded him.

"Why?" he had to
ask, certain he didn't really want the answer.

"We have need of your
seminal fluid," she said.

"My…seminal fluid,"
he repeated, the knot in his stomach tightening.

"Our scientists have
determined that humans are capable of producing offspring with our
biology. We will collect your seminal fluid and use it for our
procreation," she explained calmly.

"I have no intention
of allowing you to collect anything from me," he informed her
firmly.

"Your cooperation is
not required, Captain," she said, a hard edge to her tone that had
not been present earlier.

"Then you must not
fully understand human physiology," he told her.

"On the contrary,
Captain. Your Federation was most generous with the resources we
requested."

He believed her and it
made him queasy to realize what she was saying.

"We can collect what
we require with your cooperation. We can also take it against your
will," she warned.

He refused to flinch
from her hard stare. They were not going to find their forced
collection as easy as they thought.

"I will leave you to
consider your alternatives, Captain. When the sun has fully
disappeared behind the mountains, our scientists will come to you.
You will give them what we need or we will force you to comply,"
she said in warning. And with that, she shimmered and disappeared.

Kirk was stunned. His
head was buzzing and he could not think clearly. He had to find some
way out of this cell before they returned to…take what they wanted.

He approached the
window, looking down over the edge. The building appeared to be a
fortress of some sort, smooth stone walls beneath the window. He was
at least 30 meters up from the ground with no way to make it down the
wall safely. A tap on the clear surface of the window confirmed it
was composed of the same substance as the windows of his ship –
made to withstand encounters with meteors and space debris. Virtually
shatter proof.

He turned to examine
the round room. The walls were smooth, the ceiling far over his head.
Think he reminded himself. If Spock were here, what would he
suggest they do?

No answer came. No
escape seemed possible. His only hope was to enter their transporter
beam the next time someone from the planet appeared. But what then?
He was naked. The shield prevented the ship from finding him or
sending down a rescue party to conduct a search. He felt utterly
hopeless and he did not like it.

He sat on the soft
carpeting, his back against the smooth wall, fuming at his
predicament. When he got back to his ship, he would be more careful
to listen to Bones. When…

Across the room, a
small light shimmered and a plate appeared. He could see it held
fruit and a cup. Neither was of any interest to him. He was too angry
to contemplate eating.

From his vantage point,
he could see that their sun was hurriedly disappearing behind the
mountains. All too soon they would come. He had to stop them. He just
wasn't sure how.

As the light in the
room begin to dim from the disappearing sun, lights shimmered and
three women solidified in the cell. They all looked slightly
menacing. One held a large syringe, one held a metal bar and a chain,
and the third simply stared at him.

"Have you decided?"
the empty handed woman asked. Demanded.

"I am not giving you
anything," he informed them sternly, not moving from his position
crouched on the floor.

"Stand up," the
woman ordered.

"No," he refused,
daring her to do something about his lack of cooperation.

"Stand up now," she
said, her tone stern and hard.

The woman with the bar
sat it down and she and the spokeswoman advanced on him. He watched
them until he calculated he had the advantage. He sprung toward them
but if he had been counting on the element of surprise, he was the
one surprised. They were unnaturally strong and way too easily
subdued him, wrestling him to the floor and holding him face down. He
tried to break away but his efforts were in vain. His struggle ended
when the red hot pain of the needle entering his ass signaled his
compete involuntary surrender. The lights dimmed and he sunk
unwillingly into oblivion.

The first thing he
became aware of was the pounding in his head. When he tried to rub
his forehead to ease the pain, he realized his hands were bound above
his head. He squinted up, noticing with odd detachment that he seemed
to be strung from chains attached to the peak of the ceiling. As he
shifted his weight, his feet remained shoulder width apart, the bar
effectively immobilizing his feet and legs. The bar was secured to
his ankles and to the floor, allowing for almost no movement.

They had done him the
courtesy of securing him facing the window so that he could see a way
out. An escape he could not manage.

A soft sound from his
left startled him and he looked around his bound arm to see a woman
studying him, only sympathy reflected in her expression. She was as
tall as the other women who had already visited him but she looked in
no way threatening. Under other circumstances, he would have thought
her quite beautiful. Her dark brown hair was held in two thick
braids, one on each side of her head. Her outfit was much like the
others he had seen but in a rich burgundy. Her very pale blue eyes
studied him as she gracefully approached.

"Pleased am I that
you are awake," she said when she stood before him, gazing down at
him.

"Who are you?" he
asked, his tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth.

"Drink," she
instructed gently, holding a cup to his lips. He allowed the liquid
to enter his mouth, relieved that it was water. "Called Bellarosa
am I," she said, allowing him to empty the cup.

"Thank you," he
said in appreciation of her answer and the water.

"Get you more I
will," she offered gently.

"No thank you," he
said, studying her as she did the same to him. "Why are you here?"

"Care for you.
Trained in the healing arts I am," she explained, going to the
chair where she had been sitting. She soon returned with a small
tablet which she offered to him. "Ease your pain it will," she
explained.

"Are you a telepath?"
he asked as she stood holding the small pill for him to accept.

"Telepath?" she
repeated.

"Can you read my
thoughts?"

"Cannot, Captain,"
she said. "Accept this assistance."

He nodded and opened
his mouth.

"Allowed to dissolve
it must be," she instructed.

He nodded again,
feeling it explode in tiny bursts inside his mouth. "You aren't
like the others," he said.

"Born in Madrena I
was. Have other customs, different from here," she explained.

"I see," he
responded. "Do you know when they will return?"

"Morning time. Crest
the mountains to the south the sun will."

"How long?" he
asked.

"Has our time meaning
to you?"

"No," he conceded.

"Require anything do
you?" she asked.

"Freedom," he said
before he could stop himself.

"Come eventually it
will. Resist you must not. Win they will," she told him
sympathetically.

He did not respond to
her, trying to keep his anger at bay. She was not threatening him. He
would not take out his frustration on her.

"Angry you are at
their plans," she said.

"There must be some
other way to ensure your survival. Besides stealing my reproductive…
fluid."

"Tried all
alternatives have we. Reversing the sterility eludes us. Reproduce
can a few men."

"Then why don't you
use their seminal fluids?"

"Belief is that your
offspring will also be fertile."

"Increase the odds,"
the Captain said with only a small amount of bitterness.

"Say you the truth as
they see it," Bellarosa agreed.

"As they see it?"

"Question must not
I," she said. "Hungry are you?"

"No," he said
wearily.

She nodded, studying
him with an appraising eye. It was a professional scrutiny, much like
the ones McCoy gave him when he knew the Captain was trying to hide
something. "Feeling pain you are," she said with a small frown.

"No," he denied,
shaking his head.

"Here," she said,
pointing to his heart. "Feel sadness from you."

"Are you sure you
don't read the thoughts of others?" he asked.

"Trained to know from
observation," she explained gently.

"I see," he said,
holding his gaze steady with hers. He was not about to admit to any
weakness, emotional or physical.

"Returned to your
ship you will be," she assured him.

"When?"

"Collected enough
they have," she said with an apologetic shrug.

"For a people who
foreswear all violence, you certainly are casual about what you
intend to do," he said, his voice becoming hard as flint.

"Ensuring our
survival causes sacrifices to be made, Captain."

"Our medical
personnel can help you," he insisted.

She shook her head
sadly. "Sleep now you must."

"It's the middle of
the day on my ship. And I never have learned to sleep standing up,"
he said.

She nodded, moving the
chair where she had been sitting. When it was positioned so that he
could sit in it, she took several steps backward and removed a small
transmitter from a hidden pocket. When she pressed the button, his
arms began to lower, allowing him to be enfolded in the soft welcome
of the chair.

When he was sitting, he
looked up at her, resisting the urge to thank her. He wanted to
express his appreciation but did not want his gratitude to appear as
a weakness. It was even harder not to thank her when she draped a
warm blanket over him, providing him a measure of modesty.

"Leave you now I
must. Tend you tomorrow I will."

He nodded, watching as
the air around her shimmered and she was gone.

After she left, the
lights far over his head dimmed, casting the round cell into near
darkness. It afforded him an uninterrupted view of the night sky out
the window, the red stars shimmering over the valley and the
mountains beyond. He knew Enterprise was too small to appear as one
of those stars but he studied the sky even so, imagining the efforts
of his crew to retrieve him. He knew all too well that he would be
unable to return to his ship until the women of Leferson allowed it.

Despite what he told
Bellarosa, he eventually fell into a fitful sleep. He dreamed that
birds of prey were circling him, waiting to swoop down and devour
him. When they landed, they started by pecking at his genitals.
Although the black birds eating him caused no pain, he watched with a
strange, detached fascination as the birds pecked at his penis and
scrotum. There was no blood as they exposed his testicles which
unwound like a ball of yarn, strewn over the ground at his feet.
That's odd his sleeping self thought.

The strangeness of the
dream woke him with a start and he tried to remember where he was.
The unnatural quiet that engulfed him made him yearn for the hum of
his ship's engines. An attempt to shift in his chair brought waves
of tingling pain to his hands and feet. Wiggling his toes helped a
little but his feet were mostly numb.

The room began to
lighten as the distant mountain ranges lost more of their deep
shadows. Soon it would be full sunup and the scientist would return.
And he knew there was not one thing he could do to stop them from
taking what they wanted.

He forced himself to
remain completely still in the chair as the now familiar lights
shimmered just in the range of his vision. He refused to look to his
right to see who had arrived, instead keeping his gaze firmly locked
on a particularly interesting patch of snow near the top of the
closest mountain.

"Stand up," the
spokeswoman from the day before ordered.

"No," he said in
utterly futility. She had activated the controls to retract the
chains connected to his wrists, forcing him to rise. Apparently she
liked issuing orders he had no choice in obeying. When he stood with
his hands above his head, she stopped the movement of the chains and
stepped close enough to pick up the blanket at his feet. All of this
he ignored as best as he could.

"You will provide
what we need," the spokeswoman told him as she stood between the
Captain and the window. The other two women watched their exchange
with blank expressions.

"No I will not," he
told her firmly.

"The choice is not
yours, Captain. You are not aboard your space vessel where those
around you must acquiesce to your every word," she informed him.

He felt as though he
had been insulted and couldn't quite figure out why. Her words were
true but still had a sting to them.

"Your cooperation
will make our collection easier for you," she said when he remained
silent. "It is not required."

"What you are talking
about is not a collection. It's a violation," he told her
matching her flint hard tone.

"That is purely
semantics, drendla," she informed him.

"It is a violence
against another. All the talk of your pacifism is just that –
talk."

"In order to ensure
our survival, principles will be set aside for a time. We have
studied your human race. Your Federation talks of peaceful
exploration. How much violence have you committed while aboard your
heavily armed space ship, Captain?"

He refused to answer,
staring at her in a silent war of wills. He might be their captive
but he was not theirs to toy with.

She turned her focus to
the woman waiting to her right, nodding in silent instruction. In
understanding, she circled behind the Captain. The third woman
approached him, staring down at him with piercing green eyes. They
reminded him of the eyes of a cat he had had growing up. That cat had
been born wild and was never fully tamed, devouring helpless mice in
the barn after playing with them. He was now one of those mice.

He instinctively tried
to back away when her hand reached out for his flaccid penis but the
bar securing his feet held him firmly in place. Her touch was cold
and impersonal which somehow made what she was doing worse. When she
began stroking him, he decided she had no experience in providing
pleasure to any of the men on her planet. She was doing a terrible
job. Perhaps her regular job was milking cows.

She frowned briefly as
her efforts did nothing to arouse him, glancing over her shoulder at
the woman so clearly in charge. The spokeswoman nodded and Kirk felt
the cool hands of the third woman on his ass, parting him. He made
himself relax as much as possible, instinctively knowing what was
coming. When the well lubricated, pliable object entered him and
eased past his sphincter, it was not as painful as he had feared. The
woman behind was being careful as she pushed it higher, waiting for
his body to accommodate the intruder.

He could not stop a
quiet gasp as his gland was caressed. Before he closed his eyes
against the betrayal of his body, he saw a victorious glint in the
eyes of the spokeswoman.

The hands in front
caressed his hardening erection as those behind continued their
tortuously delicious massage of his most private opening and beyond.
He hated what they were doing to him, how they were forcing his body
to react. He had never before experienced anal stimulation and he
understood why others so enjoyed it, as much as it sickened him to
have it forced on him. Even as he fought his unwilling reaction, he
knew they were about to win.

And win they did. They
had been careful students of the information on human physiology. As
the sensations accumulated within him, and his testicles filled in
anticipation, the hands stoking him reached for a container which was
eased over his erection as the orgasm produced the precious fluid
they wanted. He was grateful that he was able to come silently, a
lesson he had learned sharing a bedroom with his brother as they grew
up.

He refused to open his
eyes as his body reflectively relaxed. Whether he was more angry at
the women or himself he could not say. He sensed their departure and
he sagged in his restraints, his wrists bearing the weight of his
defeat.

The shimmering lights
appearing around his closed eyelids alerted him to someone's
arrival. Maybe if he ignored her, she would simply leave him to his
misery.

"Drink,"
Bellarosa's soft voice said, a cup at his lips.

He wanted to protest,
to refuse. Instead he drank the water, letting it cool his mouth and
throat. It did nothing to extinguish his shame.

"Harm you they did
not?" she asked, studying his body for signs of physical distress.

"Duty to whom?" he
asked although he did not care and could not fathom why he had asked.
He felt her move away before she answered, then felt her return.

"Eat," she
requested.

He slowly allowed his
eyes to open, studying her. "If I do, will you go?"

She did not respond but
continued to hold the food that looked like a slice of orange up to
his mouth. "Eat, please, Captain."

He finally opened his
mouth to accept the segment, discovering it was in fact an orange.

"Enjoy this you do?"
she asked, giving him another piece.

He made no response
except for allowing her to slowly feed him the juicy fruit.

"Drink?" she asked
when he had eaten the entire orange.

"Coffee?" he asked
hopefully, having no idea if the concept would have any meaning to
her.

"Yes," she agreed.
She went over to a small table and poured liquid from a tall
container into a cup. The smell was more delicious than he would have
allowed himself to hope – real coffee.

She stood once more
before him, the cup cradled in her hands.

"Is it hot?" he
asked cautiously.

"Burn you it will
not," she said, lifting the cup to his lips. As promised, it was
pleasantly warm but not too warm to drink. It warmed him on the
inside as well, thawing out a part of him he didn't know had been
frozen.

"Enjoy this?" she
asked with a patient smile.

He nodded, accepting
more as she held it to his lips.

"Still hungry you
are," she said, guessing correctly what was causing his stomach to
rumble.

He shrugged one
shoulder, staring longingly at the cup in her hands. She let him
drink it all before moving away. He was able to stop the groan from
escaping, waiting for her to leave. Instead, she returned to stand
before him, holding what looked remarkably like a blueberry muffin.

"Eat this you will?"
she asked.

"Is this from your
planet?" he asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him.

"Earth," she
corrected.

"More research," he
realized.

She nodded, breaking
off a piece of the muffin. "Accept?"

He opened his mouth,
taking the muffin. It tasted a little strange but not unpleasantly
so. He guessed they had tried to make him an Earth dish and couldn't
quite duplicate the ingredients. The orange was a real puzzle, and
the coffee a welcome guess.

Bellarosa carefully fed
him the entire muffin, allowing him more coffee in between bites.

"Thank you," he
said when they were both consumed.

"Eat more would you?"

"No," he said.

She nodded, moving
behind him. When the chair was in the correct position, she used her
transmitter to lower the chains holding him upright.

"Thank you," he
said, shifting before sitting still.

"Sleep now you will,"
she said.

"Probably not. Thank
you for your assistance."

"Find more coffee on
the table," she said, moving the little table closer to the chair.

He nodded gratefully.
"If you had let me sit sooner, I could have fed myself."

"Eat you would not,"
she said guessing correctly.

He made no response,
watching her as she did the same to him.

"Return I will when
again it is time to eat," she finally said.

He nodded, watching her
disappear with a shimmer. He leaned over the padded arm of the chair,
glad there was enough slack in the chain around his left arm to reach
the carafe of coffee she had left him. He noticed that there was also
a book resting on the table. Now that seemed strange. He picked it
up, finding that it was written in English. They had obviously
intended for him to read it.

With nothing else to do
but watch the sun arch over the sky toward the mountains, Kirk sipped
the coffee and opened the book.

It was a history of
their planet, beginning with the first recorded stories. The first
few pages told how Leferson was once a violent and war-torn planet,
reminding Kirk of what he knew of pre-reform Vulcan. So many of their
men were slaughtered, the women rose to power, filling the vacuum
left by the dead. The females of Leferson abhorred the violence that
was threatening to destroy their civilization, and considered war
both stupid and unnecessary. With women of like minds in authority
over all of the land masses, the planet united as one people. They
chose a ruler who was charged with making the laws and keeping the
peace for five of their cycles. At the end of that time, a new ruler
would be chosen.

Before Kirk could stop
it from happening, he saw the words on the page blur and sleep
overtook him. It was a sleep thankfully devoid of dreams.

The now familiar
shimmering lights penetrated his sleep, waking him in time to see
Bellarosa and another woman appear in front of the darkening window.

"Sleeping you were?"
Bellarosa asked gently.

"Yes," he agreed,
looking from her to the second woman who was a little taller and a
little older than Bellarosa, her dark hair liberally sprinkled with
grey.

"Then why do you need
me?" the Captain asked them both in a hard tone.

"Ours is the first
child to be conceived in a very long time, Captain," Zarensa said.

"But you did
conceive," he pointed out.

She nodded at that, her
multitude of braids shifting around her face.

"Hungry you are?"
Bellarosa asked.

"No," he replied.
"May I request one favor?"

"Request you may,"
Bellarosa said.

"Can you contact my
ship and tell him…them that I am unharmed and will be returned?"
he requested, careful not to make it sound like an order.

"Relay your message I
will," Bellarosa said. "Read the book you did?"

"I started it," he
agreed. "Why is it in my language?"

"We had it translated
for you, Captain. In order for you to understand who we are,"
Zarensa explained.

"What are the names
of the other three women?" he asked. "The scientists?"

The two women exchanged
a glance, Zarensa barely shaking her head no. He did not ask again,
hoping that by being a good captive, they would contact his ship for
him.

"Need anything do
you?" Bellarosa asked.

"I need to empty my
bladder," he admitted, wishing like hell it wasn't necessary to
tell them that particular piece of information.

Bellarosa nodded in
understanding. "Stand you must."

He did it, waiting as
she activated the controls to raise his hands once more over his
head. When they were secure, she approached with an earthen jug,
rounded at the bottom, narrower at the top.

"Touch you I must,"
she said in apology.

He nodded, trying not
to mind when she gently placed his flaccid penis into the narrow
opening.

"Release you may,"
she said, looking down at his face covered with a faint blush, a
reaction he had not had when the scientists had acted much more
intimately. Why was her assistance more embarrassing than their
insistence? He decided not to think about it, glad when he was
finished and she could step back.

"Have other bodily
needs do you?" she asked without any sympathy which made the
question easier to hear.

"No," he responded,
meeting her eyes and seeing more than she had intended to reveal to
him. She was not happy that he was being treated in this way but he
knew there was nothing she could do about it.

"Leave you now I
must," Bellarosa said. "Return again when it is time to eat."

"Thank you," he
responded, glancing over at Zarensa who had been silently studying
him. What she thought of his situation was not evident from her
expression.

"Let him sit, Bella,"
Zarensa said quietly.

Bellarosa nodded,
lowering his arms so that he could return to the soft chair.

"Thank you," he
repeated, watching the two of them and their silent communication.
Much passed between them with no words necessary. Bellarosa covered
him with the blanket and they were gone.

Would they contact
Enterprise for him? The idea that his crew did not know whether he
was alive or dead was a weight he could barely stand to have pressing
on him. If they could be told he was safe, unharmed, only borrowed
and not taken, he would not need to concern himself with their fears.

As he stared blindly
out the window, his mind played out a slide show, familiar images of
every day ship life – Scotty tinkering with his engines to increase
their efficiency just a wee bit more; Chekov and Sulu exchanging
silent, knowing glances when they thought he could not see; Dr. McCoy
trying to bait him into admitting he really was too tired to work a
third straight shift; the crew members who attempted to watch him
walk past without him seeing. All part of the fabric of shipboard
life. All part of what was his ship, his home.

And what must his First
Officer be thinking? Was his coolly logical mind turning over the
puzzle, attempting to find the key to unlock the mystery? Would he
devote all of his energy to retrieving his Captain, ignoring his own
need for sleep, for food? Kirk had been witness to his single
mindness enough times to know that Spock would sacrifice his own well
being to ensure his Captain's.

If Bellarosa were able
to fulfill his request and communicate with his ship, they might
content themselves to wait for his safe return.

As he tried to still
his mind, tucking away his concerns for his crew, the sun slipped
behind the mountains and was gone. As expected the three lights
shimmered to solidify into the scientists to have what they wanted.

"Stand up," the
first one ordered, much as he knew she would. He considered refusing
on principle but the slowly retracting chains connected to his wrists
made obedience inevitable. Once he was standing with his hands over
his head, he met her eyes, his hard and unyielding, hers angry and
with a fire not present before. What reason would she have to be
angry? He wondered ideally. But he didn't really care and let the
thought be absorbed into his subconscious from where it had come.

The other two women
watched their silent battle of wills, standing motionless, waiting.

"We will have what we
want," the spokeswoman informed him sternly.

"Yes I know," he
said in a clipped tone, not bothering to keep his own anger at bay.

"Are you willing to
make it easier on yourself?" she demanded, sweeping his bare body
with her eyes and dismissing what she saw.

"No," he said, more
in that one word then she had bargained for.

"Makes no
difference," she warned him.

"So you've said,"
he replied in stern dismissal.

The two silent women
exchanged a silent glance. He was pleased that they at least looked
worried. Didn't do any good, of course. But it provided him with a
brief moment of futile triumphant.

"We will have what we
need," she repeated, nodding to her companions.

They took up their
positions, the one with the fierce green eyes in front, the shorter
one behind. He stared unblinking at the woman before him, refusing to
acknowledge her touch, the caresses she was using in a futile attempt
to arouse him. Her technique had not improved since the morning
session.

He relaxed the muscles
of his ass as much as he could when the cool impersonal hands spread
him apart. The insertion was painful but she was once again being
careful to allow his body to accept the intruder. He made no sign
when it reached his gland, suppressing his reaction more successfully
than he had during their previous visit. His penis was hardening on
its own but he was not becoming fully aroused.

"Controlling your
response is not in your best interest," the woman warned.

He ignored her,
fighting for control, fighting to hide the effort it took to dampen
his reflexes.

The caressing hands in
front slowed and stopped, the milk-maid looking over her shoulder in
question. The first one stepped closer, staring down at his less than
erect penis before shooting silent daggers at him. He stared back at
her, remaining motionless as the pliant probe was inserted fully into
his rectum and released.

First one nodded,
signaling over his head. He wanted to be surprised at the sharp sting
of the hypodermic needle as it punctured his flesh but he had figured
it was only a matter of time. A muscle relaxer, no doubt, stripping
him of some of his control.

He made no
acknowledgment of the injection and anger flared in the eyes locked
on his. He wondered briefly if first one intended to strike him but
instead she took one step back. Her position was taken again by the
milk-maid, number three easing the probe slowly within his channel,
bumping his gland in a way his body could no longer ignore.

There was a gleam of
triumph in first one's eyes as he was coaxed to full arousal, his
testicles quivering, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed
against the rising tide of sensation.

The milk-maid placed
the receptacle over his erection just in time, backing away when he
was complete. Wordlessly, all three women disappeared, leaving him
spent and angry.

Bellarosa finally
appeared, her expression nearly hiding all of her sympathy. She gave
him water which he reluctantly accepted. When she offered him an
orange, he shook his head and closed his eyes.

Recognizing his utter
defeat, Bellarosa pushed the chair into position, lowered his arms,
draped the blanket over him and left, only his misery for company.
When she was gone, he stared blindly out the darkening window,
considering the emotions stirred within him by the actions of the
women. He examined each one, cataloging them as Spock would his
specimens from an exotic planet.

There was anger. That
was easy to understand. How dare they hold him against his will when
neither he nor his crew had done them any injustice? And to take what
they wanted, as though his reproductive ability was a crop to be
harvested. He was not a wheat field. They were planning to increase
the population of their planet with his progeny, half humans with his
blood coursing through their veins.

Anger considered and
set aside, he contemplated the shame he was feeling. He was a victim.
Shame was irrational. But that fact did not prevent his face from
glowing hot when he thought about the reactions of his body over
which he had no control.

Frustration was next on
his inventory. He was the Captain of a Starship. He had survived
situations others would have had no chance escaping with their ship
and crew in tact. Yet he was rendered helpless by hands around his
penis and a probe inside his rectum.

His body was a
betrayer. If only he had paid more attention to those times Spock had
tried to teach him mind control. But would Vulcan mind control
techniques overcome the drugs they had given him? Would continue to
give him as long as they needed his unwilling cooperation.

Why could he think of
no way to extract himself from this situation? A small thought tried
to surface that he had too long depended on Spock's intellect to
solve their problems. He knew that they complimented one another's
talents, Spock's methodical consideration of the problem and the
possible solutions. His impulsive actions and spontaneous ideas that
Spock would temper but never extinguish. They were an excellent team,
one which would have already discovered a way out of this situation.

Frustration considered
and cataloged, he turned to claustrophobia. He wanted to explore the
valley he saw outside the window, feel the grass beneath his feet,
the sun on his face. The cell was intensely boring and he again
wondered how long they intended to hold him as their captive.

Before he reached
sorrow and took time to consider why it was present, he slipped into
sleep, his body taking the rest it needed, his mind allowing him to
put aside all thoughts for a time.

He tried to stop the
dream but it was more powerful than he was. The birds returned,
larger this time, calling out to the entire flock until the sky was
black with their wings. While the first arrivals feasted on his
genitals, the later ones nibbled on his back, his legs, and his ass.

He woke shivering and
sweaty, the nightmare feeling all too real. Outside the window, their
moon sat atop the distant mountains, the stars too faint to
distinguish. Attempting to decide on the time was impossible with no
reference to guide him. The darkness spoke of morning not yet ready
to break and he reluctantly closed his eyes once more.

The next time he woke,
it was with sunlight streaming across his body. Bellarosa and the
scientist were late. That was curious. He looked out his window,
watching the sun play on the mountainside and sparkle off the distant
stream.

A closer shimmering
warned him of an arrival, relief that is was Bellarosa.

"Sleep did you?"
she asked solicitously.

He nodded, hoping she
was bringing him coffee in the carafe she held.

"Coffee," she
confirmed, smiling gently. After pouring a cupful, she approached to
hand it to him.

"Thank you ," he
said, his voice sounding rough and unused.

"Eat please," she
requested, handing him a peeled orange waiting for him in a bowl.

He looked up at her, a
bleak expression on his face.

"Please," Bellarosa
repeated.

He shook his head,
looking away from her serene gaze. He could barely stand for her to
look at him, her sympathy the hardest to bear.

She sighed very softly,
much like a mother would sound when faced with an adored, stubborn
child. "Empty your bladder need you?"

He reluctantly nodded,
slowly standing and letting the blanket fall to his feet. She waited
until his hands were secure over his head before she approached with
the jug. When it was in place, he allowed his bladder to empty.

"Had nightmares you
did," she said as she stepped back from him, taking the blanket
from the floor.

He made no response,
making every attempt to ignore her. Except now he couldn't drink
from his coffee cup. To hell with it.

She took the cup from
his hand, holding it to his mouth. "Drink, Captain."

He complied, wishing he
were strong enough to refuse this small comfort. She nodded, waiting
until the cup was empty.

"Leave now I must,"
she said.

"You'll return?"
he asked quietly, not sure where the question had come from.

"Return I will,"
she promised. She watched with him as the three scientists appeared
in the cell.

"You are late,"
first one scolded her.

Bellarosa nodded with a
tiny smile. "Sleeping he was."

"Come earlier
tomorrow," first one told her firmly.

"Comply I will,
Kalanan," Bellarosa replied respectfully.

First one nodded in
dismissal, turning her cold stare on the Captain.

He stared back, barely
noticing when Bellarosa disappeared. Nor did he bother to move as
number three pushed the chair aside. Ignoring the milk-maid was more
difficult when she blocked everything else from his field of vision.

Deciding to waste no
time or unnecessary effort, number three injected the muscle relaxer
into his ass, avoiding the injection site from the day before.

The effects were almost
immediate, a warmth spreading up from his bottom throughout his
entire body. It was much faster than the four or five brandies that
it usually took for him to feel this mellowing effect.

The milk-maid went
about her work, his penis hardening even more when his prostrate was
massaged by the intruder. As hard as he tried, he could not stop a
very small groan. The milk-maid was being overly enthusiastic, the
skin on his penis ill used from her motions.

"We will have what we
need, drendla," first one warned.

The milk-maid frowned,
turning to look over her shoulder.

"There is some
problem?"

Number three left the
probe in place, rounding the Captain to see the cause for the delay.
First one examined the skin of his penis, clearly understanding the
problem.

"Ahh…" she said.
She reached into her pocket, taking out a tube about the size of her
thumb. After removing the cap, she squeezed a generous amount of
clear gel on the milk-maid's hand. She spread it on both palms and
returned to her work. It wasn't long before her efforts were
successful and she gathered his unwilling offering into her
container. Number three withdrew the probe, and then they were gone.

He sagged, his writs
holding him up, exhausted and drained, and hating himself. But not as
much as he hated his circumstances or those who were exploiting his
body for their own needs.

He kept his mind as
blank as he could until Bellarosa finally appeared. He looked at her
as she studied him with understanding.

"Eat you will?" she
asked.

He shook his head.
"I…uhm…need your help," he finally admitted.

"Help you I will,"
she assured him.

"My…uhm…bottom,"
he said softly, his face turning a soft red.

She circled behind him,
very gently touching the two bruises decorating his rump.

"Inside," he
corrected in a whisper.

"Yes," she
acknowledged. "Bleeding you are not."

"I am very sore,"
he said in embarrassment.

"Help you I can,"
she assured him. "Enter you I must."

"Yes," he sighed.

"Relax you will?"
she requested. He felt a soft rustling behind him and he took a deep,
calming breath. "Ready you are?"

"Yes."

She very gently
inserted a slick tube, cooling gel following the insertion. "Help
ease the pain it will."

"Thank you," he
said. "What does drendla mean?"

"Used for a small,
beloved child who behaves willfully," she explained with a patient
smile.

"Beloved child?"

"Yes, Captain."

That was something he
needed to consider. "Were you able to ask them to contact my ship?"

"Asked I did," she
agreed.

"Did they?" he
asked hopefully.

"Know not I. Ask
again I will."

"Thank you,
Bellarosa."

"Sore you are here?"
she asked, very gently touching the pink skin of his penis.

"Yes," he agreed,
wishing he didn't have to admit it.

She nodded, taking out
a tube and spreading the gel over his penis. "Feels better it
does?"

"Much better," he
said. "Thank you."

She nodded again,
retrieving a glass of water. "Drink you will?" He accepted the
water and when the glass was empty she looked into his eyes. "More?"

"Yes please." With
her help, he emptied the second glass as well. "Could I have some
coffee?"

"Eat first. Bring you
coffee after I will," she bargained.

He considered her
offer, finally nodding. He would try to eat if it meant she would
provide him the coffee. After she had the chair in position, she let
him sit and gave him a new bowl with oranges and a strange fruit he
did not recognize.

"Called plest it is,"
she said when he picked it up to study it.

"It's native to
your planet?" he asked, holding the small blue fruit in his
fingers. It smelled faintly of bananas and raisins.

"Grows wild it does.
Loved by many," she said.

He put it in his mouth,
finding the taste strange but pleasant. When he bite into it, the
juices burst out, coating his tongue and mouth with the delicate
flavor.

"Enjoy it?"
Bellarosa asked.

"It's different
from any fruit I've had before."

"Oranges. Eaten on
your planet they are?"

"Yes," he agreed,
eating a segment of orange. It was cool and refreshing, the taste
familiar, bringing with it memories of home he could not completely
suppress. He sighed softly, forcing himself to eat more of the fruit,
conscious of Bellarosa watching him. When two thirds of the orange
and all of the plest was gone, he stopped and looked down hopelessly
at the bowl.

"Finished you are?"
she asked.

"Yes," he said,
letting her take the bowl from his hands. She traded it for a small
plate and cup, the welcome smell of coffee retuning with her. On the
plate rested four pieces of what looked remarkably like chocolate
truffles. She silently filled his cup, smiling encouragingly.

"Chocolate?" he
asked.

"Eaten by humans,"
she said.

"Yes," he agreed,
tasting one. It was rich and sweet and one of the most delicious
foods he had ever eaten. "Thank you."

"Eat them all," she
coaxed with a smile.

He nodded and followed
her instructions, savoring them and the extra coffee she provided
when he had emptied his cup.

"Eat tonight then
chocolate you will receive," she promised.

He shrugged in
response, drinking from his cup. "How do you spend your time when
you aren't tending to me?"

"Care for others. The
sick. The old. The sad."

"Where do you live?
There are no houses I can see."

"Live close by I do.
With my lifemate."

"What does she do?"
the Captain asked.

"Do, Captain?"

"Does she have a job,
like healer or scientist?"

"Advisor to Kala
Korena she is."

"I see," the
Captain said, considering it.

"Have you advisors?"
she asked.

"Yes. We don't call
them that but I do have them. They are trying to figure out some way
to retrieve me, I'm sure."

"Succeed they will
not," she said matter of factly.

"Apparently," he
had to agree.

"Returned you will
be," she assured him.

"Soon?"

"Decide that I do
not."

"I know," he
sighed.

"Sleep you will now?"
she asked.

"Probably. The drugs
they are giving me leave me little choice."

"Harm you they will
not," she said.

He nodded, handing her
his empty cup and the plate that had held the precious chocolate.

"Return I will,"
she promised.

"Thank you," he
replied. She nodded and disappeared.

He decided not to fight
the sleep trying to overtake him. Better to give in than be left with
nothing to do but think.

He woke from a
dreamless sleep to find a fresh bowl of oranges and a tall glass of
water on the table next to the chair. He was disappointed that he had
slept through Bellarosa's visit, hoping she would return before
nightfall.

As much as he wanted to
drink the entire glass of water, he had to restrain from doing so.
The food and drink he had earlier consumed were waiting in his
bladder for release. It wasn't a pressing need as of yet but he
gave into temptation and drank more water, it would become urgent.

Rather than dwell on
the needs of his body, he reached over for the book, taking up where
he had previously stopped reading. He learned that after the women
rose to power, they brought the brightest minds to the capitol and
determined how they would secure the peace permanently. To Kirk it
sounded again like the process undertaken by Vulcan. The women of
Leferson did not devote themselves entirely to logic but embraced the
belief that enduring peace was possible and absolutely essential to
their survival.

He closed the book and
set it aside with the arrival of the scientists.

"Before you say it, I
have to empty my bladder," he informed first one.

"Very well," she
said, waiting as the earthen jug appeared before her. With a nod to
the milk-maid, it was brought to him as he stood, the blanket falling
away. Once his hands were secured over his head, the milk-maid
positioned the container, allowing him relief.

He nodded to indicate
he was quite through. The routine was then the same – number three
administering the injection, inserting the probe into his rectum, the
milk-maid bringing him to unwilling completion. She did take care to
use the same gel as earlier, easing the friction on his delicate
skin.

It was all accomplished
in stony silence, first one not speaking, the Captain doing
everything possible to pretend they did not exist.

Only a brief time
elapsed between their departure and Bellarosa's arrival.

"Feeling…pain you
are," she said quietly, studying him.

"It's not
important," he decided.

"Allow my help,
please."

He shook his head,
closing his eyes. "Did they contact my ship?"

"Tell me they will
not," she said in apology as she lowered him to sit in the chair.
The soft blanket was placed over him before she backed away. "Eat
you will?"

"No."

She studied him, the
misery on his face telling her everything he did not or would not say
to her. "Water," she said, indicating the tall glass on the table
next to him. He nodded, not looking up at her. "Please, Captain,"
she said, not sure herself what she was asking of him.

"Do you have any idea
what it's like, Bellarosa?" he finally said, very softly.

"Free you I would if
it were possible," she whispered. "Unaccustomed to being a
prisoner you are."

"It's not being
held against my will," he said quietly. "It's…being forced to
provide…to produce for them. I understand the instinct for survival
that's making them do it. But there are other ways to ensure your
survival."

"Discussed it we have
not. Change it can neither of us. Keep her own council on this matter
she does," Bellarosa said in apology.

"Yes, I suppose not
discussing it is preferable," he agreed. The yawn took him by
surprise, the sleep induced by the injection creeping up on him.

"Leave you I will to
sleep. Return when the sun is up," she promised.

"Thank you," he
agreed, watching her shimmer and disappear. He wondered briefly if
everything which occurred in his cell was being recorded or overheard
by an unseen witness. But it hardly mattered. So long as Bellarosa
was not scolded for her sympathy or her help, he didn't care who
might be watching or listening. Perhaps it should have increased his
sense of exposure but he forced himself to remain insouciant
concerning his enforced nudity. They had made that choice. He was not
going to embarrassed by it.

Sleep, as he knew it
would, overcame him in a wave of blankness. A new dream filled his
mind with unease, Enterprise no longer in the sky above the planet,
ordered away by those who thought they knew best. He remained on the
planet but was fully aware of the anxiety the orders caused his crew,
especially the command staff. They tried everything they could to
remain in orbit but were threatened with arrest for mutiny if they
defied their orders. The sorrow they felt ripped at his heart and he
was overwhelmed with grief, for them more than for himself.

When he woke, he knew
with certainty that his ship remained in orbit above the planet and
nothing short of phaser blasts would cause them to abandon him. The
dream was disturbing in its intensity but he was able to shake off
its effects with several calming breathes.

He watched as Bellarosa
appeared, the earthen jug ready to give his bladder relief.

"Had disturbing
dreams you did," she said as she studied him.

"They are gone now,"
he assured her.

She nodded. He stood as
the chains were retracted until he was fully upright. With no words
needed, she allowed him to empty his bladder and she stepped back.

"Eat you will?" she
requested, her eyes concerned.

He shook his head, much
as she knew he would.

"Refuse why do you?"
she asked gently.

"I'm not hungry,
Bellarosa," he said simply.

"Eaten very little
you have. Worried I am," she admitted.

"You needn't worry.
I am thirsty," he said hopefully.

"Yes," she agreed,
waiting as the carafe and cup appeared. "Coffee."

"Thank you." He
watched as she poured him a cup, holding it to his lips for him to
drink. "Do you drink coffee?"

"Is not native to
us," she said, shaking her head.

"How did you know I
drink it?"

"Studied you they
did," she said, allowing him to drink more.

"Humans? Or me?" he
asked, wondering if he really wanted the answer.

"Both. Studied many
humans they did. Chosen you were."

"Chosen?" he
repeated. "Why?"

"Tell me they did
not. Chose you to bring they did."

"Oh," he said,
nothing else to add that would make any sense to either of them. He
frowned when the three lights shimmered, the scientists returning all
too soon.

"You may go," first
one said to Bellarosa in dismissal.

"Yes," Bellarosa
agreed. "Return I will," she promised the Captain before she
disappeared in a shimmer.

"You will have what
you need," the Captain told the first one before she could tell
him.

"With or without your
cooperation," she warned as she so often did.

"I won't prevent my
reactions if you won't give me the shot," he bargained, wanting
to avoid any more muscle relaxers if he could.

"You will cooperate?"
she asked, clearly doubtful.

"That's what I just
said," he informed her sternly.

"What makes you
believe you are in a position of power, Captain? Is it in your best
interest to antagonize us?" she asked. The undercurrent of humor in
her voice caught him off guard and he studied her more closely.

"Whether or not I
attempt to antagonize you will not alter the circumstances in which I
find myself," he told her. "Making you mad brings me a small
measure of satisfaction."

"You do not anger me,
drendla. You amuse me. You interest me. Were things different, I
might have called you friend."

"Instead of
Procreator?" he asked.

"Yes. As it is, I
have been charged with ensuring the survival of our people. You
possess that which we need to accomplish this goal."

"Why are your men
infertile?" he asked, glancing at the milk-maid and number three
who were watching their conversation as though it were a tennis
match.

"Why do you care? You
can do nothing to alter it," she pointed out.

"I care because I'm
being used. And our scientists could help you find an answer that
doesn't involve abducting and raping a Federation citizen," he
told her with an edge of bitterness.

"We believe the
shield interferes with the reproductive organs of our men. As they
are partially external as are yours," she said, not responding
directly to his accusations.

"So that which keeps
you safe keeps you prisoner."

"I suppose you can
look at it like that. We do not wish to have out-worlders come to our
planet and disrupt our way of life. Your seminal fluid will ensure
our survival without interference from any others."

He sighed, and shook
his head. He was not going to convince her not to use him nor accept
the assistance he could provide.

"You are ready,
Captain?" she asked, not a demand this time.

"Yes," he agreed
reluctantly, waiting as the milk-maid and number three took up their
positions. The milk-maid looked at him with a new expression, one he
could believe was almost respect. The antagonism he had always seen
was no longer present. "If you…uhm…caress my testicles, I'll
become aroused more quickly," he told her quietly.

She nodded, waiting as
number three inserted the probe. It still hurt to have it in his
tight channel but he would address that problem the next time they
came. They had made enough inroads to his resolve for this visit.

The milk-maid reached
with one gentle hand between his legs, fondling him. "Squeeze very
gently," he suggested. She did it and he moaned. "No, you aren't
hurting me," he assured her when she released him. "It was fine."

She reached for him
again, caressing him in a most satisfactory way. Her right hand had
already been coated with lubricant and it was stroking his hardening
erection in time with her left hand on his testacies.

She looked startled
when his balls quivered in her hand and almost released him again.
"They're supposed to do that," he assured her very quietly.
"You are doing a good job."

She had to smile at him
as she relaxed to her work. Her left side was pressed up against him
and he found that he enjoyed the warmth of her body next to his. It
was an impersonal touch but the increased connection warmed him. It
had been the distance between them that had increased his discomfort.
Now that she seemed to be concerned about him, it was easier for him
to bear what she was doing.

It did not take very
long for him to come, the milk-maid collecting all of his precious
fluid. She smiled before backing away, standing next to first one as
number three removed the probe to join them.

"Thank you, drendla,"
first one said with a nod. "Bellarosa will come with chocolate."

He nodded, watching
them leave. He felt better than he had since he was first abducted
although his relief was also embarrassing to him. The convoluted
emotions he was feeling were going to take some sorting to figure
out.

With nothing else to do
but wait, he gazed out the window, wondering if it was as warm as it
looked. The valley beneath the mountains was lush and inviting.
Strange that he hadn't seen anyone in the valley or by the stream.
From his vantage point, the three scientists and Bellarosa seemed to
be the entire population of the planet.

Bellarosa appeared with
a bowl of fruit and a plate of chocolate. "Fruit first," she said
as she lowered him into his chair.

"Alright," he
agreed, accepting it from her. He ate most of the orange and all of
the plest, drinking from the glass of water she also provided to him.
"Why do I never see anyone in the valley?"

"Are the Kala's
grounds. Permitted to visit citizens are. Live here they may not."

"I see," the
Captain said, considering it. "Are we in the Kala's fortress?"

"Fortress?"
Bellarosa repeated in question.

"Castle?" the
Captain tried.

"Yes. Lives here does
the Kala. When in power she is. Returns to her ancestral home when
replaced."

"What is this room
used for when you aren't holding prisoners in it?"

"Added on it was.
Needed a secure place to house you. Know of your cleverness they do,"
she said with a faint smile.

"Oh. They did an
excellent job," he admitted reluctantly. "You and Zarensa live
here?"

"We do," she
agreed, handing him the chocolate. "Coffee?"

"Yes please," he
said, accepting a cup when she had it poured for him.

"Leave I must. Return
I will."

"Thank you,
Bellarosa," he said, watching her shimmer and disappear. When she
was gone, he reached over for the book, wanting to know more about
these people that were holding and using him.

As he read, he learned
the men were marginalized to prevent them from taking back the power.
It sounded to him as though they were reduced to little more than
slaves. They were not given the same educational opportunities as the
women, the education for the men ending after six years. The women
were allowed to continue their studies at the institutions which
sounded like Earth's universities. The restrictions on the men
seemed overly severe to the Captain and he wondered if changes had
been made since the time of the first Kalas. He also wondered if
Bellarosa would be able to tell him. Perhaps the answers were at the
end of the book. But he would not jump ahead to see. He feared he
would have plenty of time to read all of the pages of the thick book.

As promised, Bellarosa
returned with fruit and water, chocolate his reward for eating the
oranges. He briefly wondered if that was all they had for him to eat
but it wasn't worth asking about. He would not cede more power to
them by requesting anything else. It was curious, however, that they
provided him coffee and chocolate but none of his other favorites.

As the sun was setting,
the scientists returned, little conversation undertaken. The
milk-maid employed the lessons he had provided that morning, bringing
him quickly to orgasm. He moaned very softly as he came, the first
sounds he had made to indicate he enjoyed his involuntary pleasure.

He fell asleep before
Bellarosa returned, waking to her welcome presence the next morning.

Three more sunsets and
sunrises greeted him and his scientists. He read more of the history,
discovering Leferson was not entirely different from Earth. They had
constructed the shield as a protection and a warning. They would not
fight any potential invaders and had to make sure that none would
consider their pacifism a weakness. Stopping anyone from arriving on
their planet preserved their peace.

As the sun was fading
behind the mountains, Bellarosa appeared, sitting gracefully before
him, gazing up at him.

"Tell me of Earth,"
she requested.

"What is it you want
to know?"

"Tell me what you
will, Captain. Are your stars red like ours? Have you mountains like
ours?"

He considered her
request, trying to decide how best to answer. How to describe an
entire planet in a way that she could understand. "From space, from
above, our planet is blue and green," he said thoughtfully. "It
is made up of more than half oceans."

"Oceans?" she
repeated.

"Bodies of water,"
he explained.

"Lakes?"

"A hundred hundred
lakes. All come together," he explained.

"Ocean," she said,
considering this new idea.

"Immense stretches of
beautiful blue water as far as the eye can see."

"Raised by an ocean
you were," she guessed from his pleasure at describing it.

"No. I grew up
surrounded by an ocean of land. Farms."

"Yes, farms," she
agreed.

"We had neither
oceans nor mountains where I lived. But our planet does have
mountains. Immensely tall mountains with snow caps that never melt.
Gently rolling mountains that are more ancient than our race."

"Left your planet you
did," she said.

"To explore new
planets. Visit distant worlds. I never thought I would populate one,"
he admitted.

"Grateful we are for
your assistance," she said warmly.

"What will happen if
the offspring born from my sperm are also infertile?" he asked.

"Decided they have
not."

"Who is the father of
your child?" he asked.

"Donated sperm is
anonymous, Captain," she explained.

"Will the women who
use mine know it came from a human?"

"Told they will be.
Choose they must for themselves."

He nodded at that,
watching as his scientists appeared.

"Leave you now I
must," Bellarosa said, standing gracefully. After gently kissing
him on the forehead, she left.

"Captain," first
one said in greeting, actually smiling at him.

He rose before she
retracted the chains, waiting.

She nodded to number
three who went to her customary place. He was surprised when she
administered the injection they had spared him since his agreement to
cooperate.

"You are leaving us
now, drendla," first one explained. "Returning you unconscious is
easier."

"I see," he said,
sitting back down. He wasn't quite sure how felt about this news.
Relief certainly. And sadness? That hardly made sense.

"We appreciate your
assistance, as unwilling as it was. You have provided us a gift. We
will continue to flourish thanks to you," she said.

"I would not have
voluntarily assisted you," he said, simply wanting to make sure
they understood.

"We know this,
Captain. When you return to your ship, you will leave orbit, please.
And request that no other ships follow."

"You will be
considered strictly off limits," he assured her.

"As we desire."

"What if my sperm
fails to produce fertile offspring?" he asked.

"We will contact you.
We will accept the assistance of your scientists. Only you will be
allowed to return with them."

"Yes," he agreed.
He felt an unwilling sense of obligation to these women now, the
anger he had felt supplemented by reluctant respect.

"Sleep now, Captain.
And know that you have the gratitude of our entire planet," she
said, also kissing his forehead before backing away.

"Good bye," he
said, yawning and closing his eyes to allow their drugs to take him.

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